Quest for Funding Creates Spike in Activity for RIT’s Sponsored Research Services

Record number of investigators and proposals help secure nearly $55 million during fiscal 2010

Both the number of principal investigators participating in sponsored research and the number of proposals submitted increased sharply in fiscal 2010.

A significant increase in the level of outreach for external support highlights the success of Rochester Institute of Technology’s sponsored research programs during the recently completed fiscal year.

During fiscal 2010, RIT submitted 647 proposals for external research funding to a variety of federal, state, corporate and foundation sponsors, which represents a 10 percent increase in the number of proposals in the previous 12-month period. In addition, the number of RIT principal investigators submitting proposals reached 268, an 8 percent increase.

The university received a total of $54.8 million in funding during the most recent period, a decline from $58.4 million the previous year.

“In fiscal year 2010, researchers at RIT were more prolific than ever,” says David Bond, director of Sponsored Research Services. “While the pursuit of research funding has become increasingly competitive across all types of sponsors during our nation’s economic recovery, RIT investigators continue to enjoy significant support for world-class research from all types of sponsors.”

The largest sponsor of research at RIT is the federal government, which accounts for $29.8 million of awards received during fiscal 2010. The National Science Foundation was the university’s largest federal sponsor, providing $6.9 million. Awards from the U.S. Department of Energy amounted to $4.2 million and supported research in multiple areas, including solar cells, fuel-cell performance and image analysis.

Corporate support of RIT research totaled $9.6 million during this period. More than 100 companies provided support, and firms like Carestream Health, Harris RF, Impact Technologies and Procter & Gamble funded multiple projects.